[robothamma]

Hi All,

We have decided that we think we would like to live in the Northland area of NZ. I have scoured the internet but don't seem to be able to find out that much :no So far we like what we have seen based on a warmer climate ( and there being no CH or DG in NZ! :eek ) It is very green and has some beautiful beaches (OK I know that so does the majority of NZ :nice1 :laugh ) but more importantly our dream is to have a place with some land where the kids can have a pony etc.... grow our own fruit & veg and have a sleepout for thr friends & family that we hope are going to come and visit! :laugh but we don't want to be upto our eyeballs in debt we just want a simple life where we can still enjoy ourselves after work. Finance is a big issue for us for at least for the next 2 years (Kids 6yrs, 5yrs, 2yrs & 1yr) so only hubby is working at the moment (I will rephrase that so only hubby is getting PAID to work at the moment! :nice1 :laugh :laugh :laugh I would like to train as a Primary School Teacher once in NZ so that I can then go out to work when my youngest starts kindy/school but so I can still be around for them at home when they break up! So I would also appreciate some advice on this please?

One of the areas so far we have considered is Dargaville, as with most places the tourist info probably glams it up so I am looking for the nice places in the Northland, The No-Go places in the Northland and the bit in between. I would also like to know where is considered good for schools and where isn't so good and I guess most importantly employment! hubby is a Diesel Mechanic by trade (Motorway Maintenance) and also HGV Driver. Looking through our rose coloured glasses we would like to start a business working from home but I think that will have to wait a while! :exit

looking forward to hearing your thoughts
Michelle

[jess]

Hi Michelle. I don't know about Northland myself, but until someone else comes along, check out the thread about Whangarei (http://www.emigratenz.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1981&highlight=northland) - Amanda lists some links about Northland.

Jessica

[Nic in NZ]

hi,
I live half way between Whangarei and the bay of islands, we like it, we went from a 3 bed end of terrace house on a council estate with a postage stamp garden to a detached( almost everything is detached) 3 bed house with almost a acre, not quite enough room for a horse but the way we looked at it was to have a very small mortgage and then trade up to the dream house with about 10acres room to have houres( my 4 year old daughter has already put her order in for that!!!!)and a small herd off cows to get some income form.

Anything i can help yoou with drop me a PM

Nicola

[eric_amanda]

Hi Michelle

Well you know all about what we have achieved here so far in Whangarei as I think I went into great detail in my PM to you a few weeks ago.

Filling in the gaps: Whangarei is growing VERY quickly and house prices are on the up. There was an article on the front of the Northern Advocate (local rag) on Sat about how quickly property is selling and house builders have too much work etc.

For the benefit of others we have a 3 1/2 bed house including a double garage and sleepout for visitors. We have 7 acres although half is native bush conservation area. The remainder has 3 sheep (inherited with the house) grazing. Our intentions are to plant advocados this spring on some of the land. The remainder, we are currently preparing our vege patch and the rest we may use for a few sheep for our own use. In October last year we paid $400k. I spoke to the agent who sold it to us the other day and he said it was now worth at least $420-430, and may possibly be worth as much as $450! :eek

Northland is beautiful, schools vary but if you are close to Whangarei then most are OK. Not sure about Dargaville, drove through a few months ago and it does seem quite small. BOI is good but pricy and not much work (depending on your trade). Eric works in Kaikohe where the new prison is and suggests it would not be top of the list for places to live. If you are looking further north still then CHIPS is the one to talk to as she lives in Kaitaia.

Personally, going by your hubbys job I would think being close to Whangarei may be best.

I have a friend who's hubby is a HGV driver (equivalent) so will ask her for you about job prospects.

Hope this is of help to you. Will PM you also.

Amanda

[eric_amanda]

Michelle

Just spoken to my friend who's hubby is a HGV driver. She tells me that if your hubby can get his class 5, which I am told he should get automatically as a HGV driver then there is lots of work here in Northland. Apparently the dairy jobs are the best as you only work 9mths of the year :nice1

As far as mechanic work goes there is lots of those around also. She also suggested that if you wanted to buy a business there are lots of franchises like BP or Shell that actually come with mechanics shops attached...may be worth looking in to.

Hope this is of help

Amanda

[Graham Barnes]

I can help you with Dargaville-my brother has taught at the High School there for the last 2+ years, and I've out there twice.
Dargaville sells itself as the Kumara Capital of NZ-and that is pretty much it as for as the town goes. It's basically a service town for the local farming community-one of everything in the high street (the opening of its own Warehouse was BIG news locally!). A tidy enough place, but fraying at the edges and there is undeniably a general air of it being down on its luck, and in a timewarp.
Houses very cheap for what you get-E.g. big 4 bed with land for $250 max. School OK; strong discipline-a good head and a decent core of staff-its NCEA results (for what they're worth...but that's a different story) are better than Whangarei Boys' School.
Many people-if they can afford it-buy out and live in Baylys Beach-which is what brother and girlfriend have done. About 5 miles out of Dargaville, and very pleasant coastal village-but starting to grow. Fantastic beach-hence the name!
Excellent countryside-but nothing different to anywhere else in Northland from what I saw.

If you want any more info, get back-I've got pics too if you want them!

Graham

[Graham Barnes]

I can help you with Dargaville-my brother has taught at the High School there for the last 2+ years, and I've out there twice.
Dargaville sells itself as the Kumara Capital of NZ-and that is pretty much it as for as the town goes. It's basically a service town for the local farming community-one of everything in the high street (the opening of its own Warehouse was BIG news locally!). A tidy enough place, but fraying at the edges and there is undeniably a general air of it being down on its luck, and in a timewarp.
Houses very cheap for what you get-E.g. big 4 bed with land for $250 max. School OK; strong discipline-a good head and a decent core of staff-its NCEA results (for what they're worth...but that's a different story) are better than Whangarei Boys' School.
Many people-if they can afford it-buy out and live in Baylys Beach-which is what brother and girlfriend have done. About 5 miles out of Dargaville, and very pleasant coastal village-but starting to grow. Fantastic beach-hence the name!
Excellent countryside-but nothing different to anywhere else in Northland from what I saw.

If you want any more info, get back-I've got pics too if you want them!

Graham